Help Guides

TLTC Data Backup Strategies

Where to store it - My Documents vs. My Academic Files

Personal files, such as pictures and music should be stored in your "My Documents" folder, outside of "My Academic Files." Critical files such as your homework assignments should be saved to your "My Academic Files" folder, which is inside of your "My Documents" folder. SyncBack copies these critical files to your P: drive. The Information Services Department then backs up all of the P: drives to tape each night. Student P: drives are limited to 150 MB. Staff P: drives start at 150 MB. Faculty P: drives start at 1 GB.

The X: Drive

The X: drive is much like your P: drive only it is NEVER backed up to tape because it would take three days to backup all the X: drives. Each member of the BVU Community is allocated 10 GB of storage space on the X: drive. Everything in your "My Documents" folder is automatically backed up to the X: drive, except for documents in the "My Academic Files", which is backed up to your P: drive.

If you have a large amount of data in your "My Documents" folder, the initial backup to your X: drive may take several hours. After the initial backup is complete the process will go quickly because each time SyncBack runs it only backs up new and changed files.

Disabling the automatic backup of "My Documents" to the X: Drive

Other than server administrators, you will be the only person able to see your X: drive. Nevertheless, if you don't want your personal files out on the network you can disable the automatic backup of "My Documents" to the X: drive.

Open SyncBack by going to the Windows Start button>All Programs>Applications>Syncback.

Click the plus sign next to Backup to list all of the options and choose Backup Documents. Go to the Profiles menu and choose Disable.

To ensure your data is safe we recommend that you allow SyncBack to easily and automatically back up your data AND that you burn your files to CD, DVD, USB Flash Card, external hard drive, etc and store that media or device off-campus.

P: and X: Drive Basics and Best Practices

Every BVU Student has personal space on the network to backup important files. The backup process is automated using SyncBack, but for optimal protection you should save your files to specific locations on your computer.

How do I backup "My Documents" to somewhere other than the X: drive, like an external hard drive?

Open SyncBack, click Backup Documents.

Go to the File menu and choose Modify.

Change the Destination directory to your external hard drive by clicking on the Destination button and choosing the correct drive.

I’m in the middle of class and the backup is making my computer run slow. How do I stop Syncback until a later time?

Open SyncBack and go to the File menu, then choose Pause all profiles.

What happens if I put my computer into standby while it is backing up my files?

When you put your computer into standby, SyncBack will stop running. If SyncBack is in the middle of copying a file when your computer goes into standby, the file it was copying to your P: or X: drive will most likely be unusable. However, the next time SyncBack runs it will replace the incomplete file on your P: or X: drive with a complete copy from your computer.

How long will P: and X: drives available to graduating students?

Network accounts, including P: drives, are available for one year after graduation. The X: drive will be available for graduating students only until the June 30 following your graduation. Therefore, you should make a backup copy of your photos and any other files you wish to keep prior to graduation day.

For further information or any help, please call, email, or just stop down to 2FIX. 2fix@bvu.edu 712-749-2FIX (2349).